The Most Common Foot Issues Today

It’s probably safe to say the first thing people think of when they think of “foot problems” is a sprained ankle. It’s a common thing with athletes and active people. Other common problems are broken bones, Achilles issues, Arthritis, and more. There several major issues that we see commonly.

Let’s list a few to get started and give a brief overview of what each could be. Please remember that these are only general conditions and you should still consult a professional nearby to get a more accurate assessment of your foot condition.

What Typically Causes Foot Pain?

Well that’s a hard question to answer without knowing exactly what’s wrong. Here’s some general ideas to look at for your foot issues, but you’ll have to dive deeper to really understand what pain you’re feeling.

High Heels / Improper Footwear

Let’s face it, many of us have no real clue how to choose quality shoes for our feet. We mostly base it off fashion. That’s how our society works. Those 6 inch heels sure don’t feel good, but damn they look good.

Or those new Nike’s don’t provide the best support for my arches, but everyone is running in Nike’s so I should too.

These decisions don’t typically lead to immediate foot pain. But rather these are the cause of long term foot problems that could have been avoided.

Improper Injury Treatment

Many people (especially athletes) have had a sprained ankle or foot problem before. It’s fairly common. However, what’s not common is properly treating the injury.

How many times have you heard a coach yell “just suck it up and keep playing.” I know I have. People try playing through injuries when their bodies tell them to stop. Then the injury gets worse and they they have to rest.

But when they rest, they still don’t full treat the injury. The RICE (Rest-Ice-Compress-Elevate) formula is a good STARTING POINT for sprained ankles, but it’s not the end-all-be-all.

That’s what leads to bigger injuries down the road. Do yourself a favor and get it checked out. You may spare yourself a lot of pain and difficulties later in life.

Sitting Too Much

We live in a world that sits… constantly… We sit at work. We sit at home. All we do is sit sit sit sit. So how does this impact your feet.

Well it doesn’t impact it directly… usually.

It hurts your posture the most.

By altering your posture, you alter the way your body carries weight. This pushes and pulls muscles in ways they weren’t designed to be (think of hips and back mostly).

But guess what…

No matter, your feet carry the burden ALL the time. And when your body tries compensating for the altered posture, your feet take the weight in different areas. Usually in ways they’re not designed to either.

Notice how many girls wearing flip flops look like they have flat feet? That’s a combination of improper footwear and improper posture. They may or may not notice the foot pain now, but they will in a few years.